Most prior attempts to create color images of photographic quality using the science of electrophotography have employed liquid developers. For many years it was thought that liquid developers were the only developers with fine enough particles to give the resolution ordinarily experienced with silver halide photography. Recently, multicolor images have been formed using toner particles finer than 8 microns in diameter and in some instances finer than 3.5 microns in diameter. With such size particles granularity comparable to silver halide photography is obtainable.
Finishing color images with such fine particles while maintaining resolution has posed many problems. Ordinary heated roller, pressure fusing has a tendency to spread the particles on the surface of a receiving sheet, destroying the fine granularity created by the fine particles. Infrared heating also causes some spread of the particles as the particles are encouraged to flow in order to become fixed.
Of more concern, the particles are formed on the surface of the receiving sheet in a series of layers, the height of which is dependent upon the density and the particular combination of colors needed to make up the image. This creates a substantial relief image which is quite noticeable to the eye. This is especially the case after infrared fusing, but also is apparent after hot pressure roller fusing of the type used in most copiers. This relief image is sufficiently unacceptable that a multicolor print made with it would not be competitive with a comparable silver halide product.
In most photographic work a glossy appearance is desirable and provides an appearance of image sharpness. However, with prior copying fusing systems gloss levels in excess of 20 were rare. Further, the sane variation in amount of toner which causes relief also causes a variation in image gloss.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,303, Sahyun et al, issued June 29, 1982, discloses a relatively low speed method of transferring fine toner particles from a photoconductor to a receiving sheet having a thermoplastic coating on it. According to that patent the thermoplastic coating is heated to its softening point, preferably a temperature between 20.degree. and 70.degree. C. Under moderate pressure the toner is "encapsulated" in the thermoplastic layer, with less than 25% of the particles protruding.
Japanese Kokai 63-92965 (1988), laid-open Apr. 23, 1988, discloses a method of treating a color image on a thermoplastic layer on a receiving sheet by passing the sheet between a pair of rollers, with at least the roller contacting the image being heated in the presence of a pressure of 4 kg/cm.sup.2. Both rollers are formed of silicone rubbers. It is suggested that, if the thermoplastic is heated higher than its softening point but lower than the softening point of the toner, the toner can be pushed into the thermoplastic. This procedure, it is suggested, will remove the unevenness of the surface of the electrophotographic image. Thermoplastically coated receiving sheets of this type have a tendency to blister when subject to heat and pressure due to moisture in a paper support turning to steam and being trapped by the thermoplastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,742 shows a method and apparatus for treating a fixed color toner image carried on a transparency sheet. The sheet is passed between a thin plastic sheet and a pair of rollers in the presence of heat which presses the thin sheet around the toner to soften, fuse and add gloss to the image. The thin sheet is peeled off after the image has cooled. According to the patent, this provides an image that scatters light less in projection.
European patent application 0 301 585 published Feb. 1, 1989, shows a glazing sheet used to increase the gloss of either a toner image on a paper support or a dye and developer in a thermoplastic coating. The glazing sheet is pressed against the paper sheets with moderate pressure and the dye-thermoplastic sheets with substantial pressure. Resolution, relief and variable glossing are not mentioned as problems.
In the latter two references the image and sheet are allowed to cool before separation. This approach to preventing release in pressure fixing devices is shown in a large number of references; see, for example, European patent application 0 295 901 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,215.
For a variety of reasons, none of the above approaches are totally successful in fixing fine particle toner images at reasonably useful speeds without loss of resolution and with elimination of relief and without other attendant problems, such as, blistering, variable gloss and the like.